4 killed as 'thunder snow' slams New York

Buffalo, New York, is no stranger to cold weather, but Tuesday's lake-effect storm and its upwards of 6 feet of snow was staggering for the city, CNN reported.

"This storm is basically a knife that went right through the heart of Erie County," said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. "I can't remember and I don't think anyone else can remember this much snow falling in this short a period."

At least four people were killed in the storm. One of the storm-related deaths was a vehicle accident, said Peter Anderson, a spokesman for the county executive. Three others were cardiac arrests as a result of shoveling, said Peter Anderson, a spokesman for the county executive.

Some places have already seen more than 60 inches of snow. And there's more coming -- possibly more than 90 inches in some areas after another round of wintry weather hits at the end of the week.

The equivalent of a year's worth of snow is going to pound some areas over a three-day period, Poloncarz said.

"This is a very, very serious situation. This is a very serious storm ... It's probably heavier than anything that we have seen in over 40 years, so it's going to take some time to dig out," Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told reporters.

While some parts of the city saw only a dusting of snow, South Buffalo was particularly hard hit. Authorities issued a ban blocking unnecessary travel there while crews try to clear the roads.

The snow left people stranded in cars, turned roadways into parking lots and forced some emergency responders to rely on snowmobiles provided by volunteers. It blanketed the area at a rate of 3 to 5 inches an hour.

About 20 people were seeking shelter inside a fire station and 20 people were inside a police station Tuesday night, authorities said.

A baby girl was delivered at the fire station Tuesday when an ambulance was unable to take her mother to the hospital, Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield said.

"She was born, she's safe and she's healthy," Whitfield said.

Others stranded in the snow faced devastating consequences.